A Vow and A Love
by beaner008
Summary: AU Future Faberry 2-Shot: Quinn always thought Rachel would leave Lima and she would bd left behind. The opposite happened. Te years later, Quinn senses there's something wrong w. Rachel & attempts to make the right choice by her best friend, hoping that all of the signs had been an illusion, both of Finn and her feelings for Rachel. Brittana; anti-Finchel; Pezberry friendship
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone - This is my first two shot and first Faberry. Don't worry. I'm still working on Open Wounds. It's actually open on my screen now. I want to thank my dear bugs for the prompt for the story. Incredible. Thank you! Thanks as always to my two beta for their help and feed back. **

**Please be gentle with this story. There is Finn bashing. **

**A/n: please read with caution. Domestic violence, manipulation, and sexual assault are depicted. **

* * *

Friendships sometimes just happen. You get to a point where you're not sure where it started but you know that you breathe contact with the friend like air. Imagining your life without them causes you to feel like you lost a limb simply at the possibility of the lost. That's how Quinn felt about Rachel. If someone had told her twelve years ago that her friendship with Rachel Berry would be so essential to her life that she equated it to breathing, she would have assumed that they were insane. At fifteen, Rachel was just another girl that was too talented for Lima and would leave her behind; she was someone that Quinn needed to crush. However, fast forward twelve years: Rachel was the one that stayed... not her.

Quinn sipped at her wine as she sat down to her computer. She thought more carefully. It wasn't as if she didn't have friends in the city. Santana and Brittany were here. She had people at the firm. She had plenty of friends. She rolled her eyes hating that she had to convince herself that she had friends. She sighed. However, when she came home, all she wanted to do was tell Rachel. She wanted to tell her everything. All the time.

She paused for a moment. Santana was giving her a hard time a few days ago about the regular video chatting. She called Rachel and her skype sessions: drunk dreaming damsel dates. She laughed and waved it off. They were dates.. but not dates dates... She didn't think of Rachel like that... She …. she didn't... Rachel was just... Though sometimes she wanted to hug her... hold her...She shook her head.

She's married.

She needed that to be a reminder. Rachel stayed in Lima and became an amazing teacher and...

Quinn felt herself pause again. Rachel unquestionably was a good teacher and she made such a difference, but she couldn't help but feel that she was being held back. She couldn't help but feel as though Rachel made the wrong decision all those years ago. She was... so much bigger than that. In high school she had all these dreams... she was supposed to do so many great things, become someone great. But then upon graduation... she just pushed them all aside. For him.

The message popped up on her screen interrupting her thoughts. Rachel was calling. She smile and answered. Rachel's face spread across the screen.

"Hi," Rachel said with a smile. She had a tiny kitten in her lap and a blanket around her shoulders.

"Hi," Quinn smiled. "Hi Chester," she said waving at the cat. The blonde searched her friend's eyes and saw past her smile. "What's wrong?"

Rachel laughed awkwardly. "Nothing." She bit her lip. "I just haven't talked to you in a long time."

"I know," Quinn said. "Well, a certain somebody kept canceling on me," she said with a smirk jokingly. Her smile faded when Rachel only gave a half smile in return. "Why have you cancelled so many times?"

Rachel shrugged. "Things just got busy. You know?"

"Not really," she said honestly. "You doing okay? You seem sad."

"I'm not," she said again. The cat bounced off of her lap.

The normal easy fun conversations that they typically had via skype chat was absent this evening. Something was off; something was missing. Quinn couldn't quite put her finger on it. The conversation felt forced. There was something else about it, she wasn't sure what. However, it was unquestionably strange. Finally, after the millionth time of assuring her that she was fine, Quinn finally pushed back.

"Stop being a liar," Quinn said. "You know you can tell me anything." She paused expecting Rachel to open up to her about whatever her mind was distracted on or in the very least nod her head at her last comment. When Rachel just continued to look at her through the screen with no expression on her face, Quinn decided to continue another neutral conversation with a sigh. "Did I tell you what Santana calls our little chats?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, relaxing slightly. "What? How is she by the way?"

"Being a successful bum as always," she laughed. "She calls them drunk dreaming damsel dates. It's quite a mouthful."

Rachel's smile faded. "Why would she call them that? I'm not in distress."

The blonde frowned. "I didn't say you were..." she said slowly as she kept her eyes focused on Rachel.

"Oh... alliteration..." she muttered. Something knocked over in the background causing Rachel to jump. Quinn saw the blanket slip as Rachel looked over her shoulder. The blonde's smile faded instantly as she leaned closer to the screen to examine what was revealed. Rachel turned back to the screen with a shake of her head. "Just... Chester."

"What the hell is that?" Quinn said with a hardened gaze.

Rachel quickly brought the blanket back up over her shoulders when she noticed it had slipped. She gave a nervous laugh as she looked at Quinn's shocked face. "What do you mean? What is what?"

Quinn pointed at Rachel's shoulder that was now covered and the blonde was sure that she saw a bruise. "You know damn well what I am talking about. That huge ass bruise on your shoulder!"

"You don't know what you're talking about," she said pulling the blanket tighter around her. She waved at the computer screen playfully trying desperately to change the subject. "When was the last time you cleaned your computer screen?"

Quinn shook her head fiercely. "Stop it. Just stop. I know what I saw, Rachel." She looked her friend directly in her eyes.

Rachel quickly avoided the blond's eyes as she sat up straighter in her chair. She shook her head strongly. "You don't know what you saw, Quinn. It is nothing."

Quinn quickly snapped back. "If it's nothing then take off the blanket," she demanded.

Rachel felt her face falter at her friend's demand. It would have been a simple request to any other person but Rachel knew what was hidden underneath the blanket. Revealing it to her best friend would mess up years of her life that she had successfully managed to hide from everyone. Years of things that she had no choice but to hide with makeup, long sleeves, jackets, scarfs... blankets. She looked at Quinn's face through the screen. It was so serious. She wasn't going to give up on this. Rachel looked down at her shoulder hesitantly. It was still covered in the blanket she had wrapped so tightly around her, but as she looked at it it was almost like she could still feel his harsh grip.

_Rachel was quietly working on her class's lesson plans in bed when she watched the clock turn to read 11:16pm. She hadn't seen Finn all day. He had been so angry lately, so she was somewhat grateful for his absence. She understood his anger. He had a right to be angry. She owed him so much. With everything with his mom and... then between the two of them, with the baby... she loved him even more for surviving. It was her job as a wife to help him through it. It was just a rough patch... It was just a rough past that was lasting a few years... She honestly didn't know what more there was for her to do. _

_She jumped when she heard the door slam. She just didn't know if she could handle the rough patch, not again. It scared her, but her Finn was in there somewhere, right?_

_She heard him stomp up the stairs and enter their bedroom causing the door to slam against the dresser on the other side. _

"_Hi," she said with a small smile from the bed. "You okay?"_

"_No," he hissed heavily as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm tired. I want to lay down and relax."_

"_Okay," Rachel said quietly as she stood up. "I can go downstairs and finish this." She gave him a gentle look. "You should rest."_

_He didn't reply so she took her leave as she collected her things. She managed to get to the door before he called out._

"_That's all you're going to say?" he asked. "You're not going to offer to help me?"_

_She darted her eyes nervously around the room. "I... I don't know what you mean."_

_He stood up and walked over to her pushing her notebooks to the ground. He lifted her chin so that their eyes met. "You're my wife," he said his breath warm on her face. "How do you think I want to relax?"_

_She tried to lower her gaze but he held her chin. "I... I... um... We haven't done that since... We haven't done that for awhile... I just …. I thought that... I wanted to make it special."_

"_Well, I want it now," he said as he reached down to unbutton her shirt. _

"_Finn... I..." Rachel began but her shirt was on the floor and her pajama pants were now pooled at her feet. "Finn," she said more forcefully backing away. "I want to make this special. Can't we just-"_

_He unbuckled his pants and let them pool at the floor. He pulled down his boxers revealing an already hard member. "Take off your underwear, Rachel," he said moving toward her._

"_Finn, you are my husband," she said backing away from him. "I am not a whore."_

_He reached out and pulled her to him spinning her around so that her back was flush against his front. He grabbed her shoulder roughly as he ripped off her underwear. "You're my wife," he hissed in her ear. "That makes you my whore." _

_Still gripping tightly onto her shoulder he pushed her down to her knees onto the bed. Rachel tried to squirm away. "Finn, no! Finn! Stop! I mean it! Finn!'_

_His hand came down roughly on her backside. "Shut up," he hissed as he pushed into her from behind. She let out a scream of anguish. She was dry. She sobbed in agony as she kicked._

"_No! Finn! Get off me! This is rape damn it!" she screamed. She suddenly felt his other hand on the back of her head pushing her into the pillows muffling her as he continued to ride her gripping her shoulder for leverage._

"_It's not rape, Rachel. You're my wife," he hissed as his hips continued to hammer into her. "The doctor said you were fine days ago. I was patient." He thrust his hips deeper causing another muffled scream. "You'll learn to be a better wife Rachel." He continued to pump in and out of her until he reached his climax. He rolled off of her now sobbing form. _

_She turned her cheek on the pillow to face him. "Why did you do that? Finn," she sobbed. "Why?" The tears continued._

_He caught his breath and looked at her tear-streaked face and the spots of blood and cum on the bed. "I just got out of control," he said calmly. "Sorry." He looked at the bed. "Maybe you should go shower... I'll strip the bed so that you can make it when you get back….." He stood up. Her body was still shaking on the bed. "Are you gonna get up?" She wobbled to her feet and started toward the bathroom. "Hey, Rach?" he called out. She turned slowly and looked at him still shaking. "I'm uh... gonna grab a beer downstairs. You want one?" _

_She looked at him in shock. "No," she said angrily. "I don't want a beer."_

"_It's not rape, Rachel," he said again while yanking the dirty sheets off the bed. "You're my wife. I just got too excited. I had a hard day today." He walked over and picked up her notebook and then went to her, dropping it on the dresser near the bathroom. "Better go shower. It's getting late and you still have lesson plans to do."_

_Without another word, he turned and left the room._

He had been rough with her their entire relationship, but he had never been like that. Not when it came to sex. Not ever. She stared more at the blanket that covered her shoulder.

"RACHEL!"

She looked up at the screen with a jump. Quinn was looking back at her worried. "What's going on?" Quinn asked.

"Nothing," Rachel said shaking her head. "Listen, I'm really sorry, but I have to go. Chester knocked over something, it made a real mess. I need to clean it up."

"Rachel, don't do this. Don't run away from me."

"I'm not," she replied quickly. "I have to go." She smiled. "I love you, Quinnie."

There's that smile, the blonde thought. "I love you, too-" Quinn began.

Call disconnected.

….

Rachel stared at the computer. She just hung up on her best friend. She just literally slammed the computer shut in her face. What else was she supposed to do? She challenged herself. She didn't have any other option. Finn had been very specific years ago. He had warned that what happened in their house was only their business...and if someone else should find out about it then it would only make things worse for her. For years she had been hiding things from her fathers, friends, coworkers and neighbors, she was too terrified to find out what his threat had meant. She didn't want to know what 'worse' could be. Quinn had had such a determined look in her eye, Rachel didn't have any other choice but disconnect the call. It was a panicked decision but it was the right one.

"Rachel?" she looked over her shoulder with a slight jump as Finn was coming in the door. He smiled at her. He was carrying a bundle of a cheap flower arrangement from the grocery store. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. "How are you?"

She nodded and leaned into him slightly. "Fine." She took the flowers. "Thank you."

He sighed as he peeled off his blazer. "I wanted to apologize again for last night," he said leaning against the wall casually. "I am sorry that I lost control. I just...had a hard day at work. And it has been so long since we've been able to have sex." He shrugged his shoulders simply. "I know losing the baby was hard on you, but honestly, Rachel how long did you expect me to have to wait? I'm a man. I have needs. You can't make me out to be the bad guy here. Your body wasn't strong enough to carry the baby to full term. That's not my fault. "

"I know," she nodded. "I never blamed you for that."

"I know, but I just... I love you and I need you to love me too," he sat on the arm of the couch. "Do you still love me?"

"Of course," she said. Rachel looked at her husband nervously. She wasn't sure if she should even voice her thoughts. He seemed to be in his 'I'm sorry' mood, but she couldn't ever be too sure. If she said the wrong thing when he was in the wrong mood it would be bad, she knew this from experience. She bit her lip gently as she looked into his eyes. "Last night scared me, Finn. I'm … just... It scared me a lot."

He nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. Why don't we go upstairs and I'll take care of you." he smiled. "I promise I'll make it good for you. He pulled her close to him so that she was standing between his legs as he sat at the couch. Even sitting he was taller. He pulled the blanket away and traced his fingers on the bruise, kissing it. "I didn't mean for this accident to happen." His hands on her hips dipped into her yoga pants pulling them down to her ankles. He locked his gaze with hers and pulled down her underwear as her kissed her neck softly. He trailed kisses down to her chest before he leaned down and kissed the bruises on her hips and between her legs. "Let me make it up to you," he said with a seductive grin.

She felt a familiar pull in her stomach as he began to play with her gently. He looked up at her and she bit her lip as she gave a soft moan. "Okay."

He picked her up bridal style with her clothes still off her, exposing her. As they headed up to their bedroom, Rachel looked over his shoulder at her phone on the coffee table. It was buzzing. Someone was calling. She leaned back into Finn. He was her husband. He came first.

…..

Quinn stared down at her phone anxiously. Voicemail. Voicemail. Voicemail. She was frowning so deeply her face hurt. She didn't know how many times she had hit the speed dial for Rachel's cellphone now, but she didn't care. She hit the button again and pulled the phone to her ear for what felt like the millionth time. She stared at a picture frame that held a picture of her and Rachel from this past New Years celebration as she listened to the monotone ringing, praying that this would be the time her best friend would answer.

_Quinn leaned against the counter and sipped her wine. She licked her lip and looked around. Rachel and Finn were the only ones who chose to stay in Lima after high school graduation. Everyone else wanted them out of that tiny podunk town, everyone except the two of them. They invited them to the city for a holiday vacation. Quinn was even throwing a New Years party for them. However, like everything else on their visit to the city. Nothing was going as planned. Quinn had tried to take Rachel to a show, tried to show her the city, but Finn kept changing the plans. He kept saying that they wanted to do something else, or that they wanted to spend time together, just the two of them. _

_Quinn watched them from the kitchen. They were talking quietly in the corner about something. She couldn't ease the frown on her brow. It simply wouldn't go away. _

"_Stop pouting in the corner," Santana said taking a sip of her beer._

"_I'm not," she said with a frown. "I'm just..." She sighed. "I'm just disappointed. I thought having her here would be so much fun, but she hasn't really been able to hang out because Finn is keeping her busy with his own agenda. I just wanted to spend time with my best friend." She sighed again and waved her hand in the direction of the huddled couple. "And even now...I mean look at them..." They looked at Finn and Rachel who were talking quietly in the corner of her living room. "Its like they are their own little team... It's like it's them...and then it's us...and I hate that. Why do they have to talk all secretly in the corner? What are they talking about? Do you think they are even having a good time?"_

_Santana arched her brow. "Seriously? Quinn, I love you but they're married." She shrugged. "Yeah, you're besties, but …. what do you expect?" She gave a slight smile. "Chill out or drink more wine. You are over thinking WAY too much. They still have 3 more days here...you and Rach will have your lady time." Santana eyed her carefully. _

"_What?" Quinn said with annoyance._

"_Are you sure your jealousy isn't something else?" she asked carefully. _

_The blonde scoffed. "What else would it be?" _

_Santana rolled her eyes. "Forget it." _

"_Hey," Rachel said interrupting them. _

"_Hi," Quinn said, her scowl was instantly gone. _

"_Finn and I have to head out," she said with a pang of regret._

"_What?" Quinn asked drily. _

_Santana glared at the blonde and then frowned at her petite friend. "It's New Years. You just got here. They haven't even started the ball dropping yet." _

_Rachel nodded regrettably and looked over at Finn as he came up behind her with their jackets. _

"_Where are you going?" Blaine asked with Kurt as they entered the kitchen. _

"_Rachel's not feeling well. We're leaving," he said plainly. _

"_Thank you, sergeant puffy," Santana muttered. _

"_You're not feeling well?" Quinn asked. _

_Rachel paused as she looked at Finn over her shoulder. He linked his arm around her waist pulling her into his body as he gave her hip a tight squeeze. She looked back at her best friend. "Yeah, just a bit of a headache," she muttered. _

"_We have Advil and stuff here if you want," Brittany offered. _

"_See you guys later," Finn said with a nod as he turned towards the front door, shoving Rachel's coat into her arms._

"_What's going on?" Quinn asked with a frown as she took a step closer to Rachel again. _

"_Nothing," Rachel said quickly as she pulled on her coat. "Call you later." _

"_Rachel," Finn called from the door. "Let's go." _

"_Bye guys," she smiled. "Happy New Year!" _

"_Are you okay?" Quinn asked with Santana as they followed Rachel to the door where Finn was waiting impatiently in the hallway. _

"_She's fine," he muttered with his hands in his pockets with a huff. "She's just pregnant." _

_Brittany let out a loud squeal of excitement. "AHHH! Seriously?!" _

_Finn rolled his eyes in response to Brittany's screech. Quinn watched as Rachel looked back at Finn with a betrayed frown._

"_Yeah," Rachel finally said with a smile as she turned back to face Quinn, Brittany and Santana. "Just found out … took a test at the hotel... so … it's not for sure until we get back to Lima..." She looked at Finn with a sigh as he nudged his head towards the door again. "I'm just tired okay?.. I'll call you later." She locked eyes with Quinn. "Stop worrying so much," she smiled softly. "You'll get wrinkles." _

_Quinn smiled softly. "Night." _

Quinn looked at her phone. Rachel had just lost the baby a month ago. She thought it was the baby that had her in the weird mood that night. After everything that Quinn went through with Beth, she had a degree of insight about what was going on in Rachel's head. However, at the same time she didn't and she hated that. She frowned. Was it really Rachel's idea to leave the party that night? Had it really been just about the baby?

She thought back to a couple of Thanksgivings ago when Rachel was hysterically upset because she accidentally broke Finn's mother's gravy boat. It was soon after his mother died after her long battle with cancer. Finn had been incredibly moody as he mourned her. Quinn hadn't lost a parent, but she wasn't sure if Finn's increasing criticism of Rachel was a typical and acceptable grieving process. Rachel assured her she was fine and that Finn was just in a dark place, but that they loved each other and would work it out as husband and wife.

She frowned as she thought about their relationship over the last few years since Mrs. Hudson - Hummel's death. Kurt even said that Finn was acting more distant and refused to speak with Kurt or Burt. Quinn felt a punch in her stomach. Rachel had sprained her wrist, she remembered. Some accident at work or something. She had refused to get it checked out. She assured Quinn that she had had worst injuries when she danced in high school. Quinn's heart began to race. That was almost two years ago... How did she miss all of this? How did she miss the change? How did all of them miss it? Quinn trailed off.

Her head snapped up. This wasn't new, she realized. It was a long time coming.

Quinn used her fist to pound on Santana's door.

"Santana!"

Finally the door opened. "I'm going to kill you!" Santana hissed in her face, yanking Quinn into the apartment.

Quinn blushed in embarrassment. Santana was wrapped in a towel and her hair was wet. She grimaced. "Sorry, Brit!" she called into the loft's high-ceilinged space.

"I'm fine, Quinn," Brittany yelled breathlessly. "Santana's the one that's really upset. She didn't -"

"Lalalalalala," Quinn said putting her hands over her ears. "I love you but I don't want to hear about you making each other scream and what not."

"We only went into too much detail that one time at wine tasting. That was damn good wine," Santana said with a sigh.

"Fuck yeah, it was!" Brittany called out again.

Santana sighed and looked at Quinn, her smile faded instantly. "What happened? Why is your face like that?" She gasped. "Oh my god did you unpress your lemon!?"

Brittany screamed from upstairs. "HOORAY! Yay for Quinn!"

Quinn could hear Brittany practically fall out of bed and scramble down the stairs. Please have her remember clothes. Brittany had walked around naked so many times causing Quinn to look away so often that she knew exactly where the most interesting spot on the ceiling loft was.

"What?!" she asked. "No! No!" She waved her hands. "God! NO!"

Santana and Brittany's eyes widen. "Geeze," Brittany muttered. "Apparently, more pressed than ever."

Quinn shook her head quickly. "Something is wrong with Rachel. She was acting weird and then she hung up on me out of nowhere. We need to go!" She looked at the couple with panicked eyes. She was panting she talked so fast. "WE NEED TO GO!" She raised her voice when she noticed Santana not moving, still in place.

"Um... what?" Santana asked. "Go? Go where?"

"To Ohio!" she said with an obvious roll of her eyes. "Pack a bag." She demanded quickly as she began to scan through her phone. "I can get us a flight on my fancy phone. Shit! I don't want to open that! Close app! Close!" She shouted into her phone with frustration.

Santana looked at Brittany with wide confused eyes. "What the hell?" she asked quietly. Brittany just shrugged. Santana reached over and took the phone gently out of Quinn's hand. "Give me this," she said pulling it. Quinn protested but Santana pulled harder. "Give it. Give it to me." She shook her head. "You're not breaking the fancy phone the company just bought you even though you treat it like a tiny incompetent human." She took a deep breath. "You can't fly to Ohio," she said slowly before continuing at the same pace, "just because Rachel hung up on you, Quinn."

"What? Santana! No, you don't understand," Quinn said desperately. "There was bruise...and she was all... short …. and then she got all daze like... and weird and... Finn's just been... GAH! Do you remember New Years!?" She pointed at the girls as if pointing would help the memory surface in their brains faster. "Remember!? He was all like... and then Rachel was just quiet and then they left early? Remember!? Come on! You totally remember!" Neither one of the girls could keep up with her rant. She was talking so fast and her sentences were so incomplete it was hard to follow. Quinn squeezed her hands slightly together when she got no response from either of her friends standing in front of her. "Something is wrong! I know it! Please. Please!" She looked into the brunette's eyes. "I know that Rachel isn't your favorite person and you really don't like Finn but... Something's wrong. You have to believe me... SOMETHING is wrong!"

Santana shook her head slowly. "Quinn, you can't..." She laughed nervously. "You're not serious. She's okay. Just wait til the morning."

"No!" she screamed clenching her fists next to her face in frustration. "I need to get there! There's something wrong!" She shook her head. "I don't have time for this!" She looked at her with a cold stare. "You need to pack a bag right now or I will go alone." Her voice shook with intensity. "Nevermind! I'll go alone!"

Santana looked at Brittany with wide eyes not knowing what to say.

"Quinn," she called out after her. The blond stopped but didn't turn around. "I can't chase after you in a towel. Okay?" She paused. "... Just give me a second."

Quinn turned and looked at her with a defeated but grateful look. "Thank you," she whispered seeming to deflate.

She watched as the couple went upstairs into the loft. "Are you sure about this?" Quinn heard Brittany ask quietly.

"I'm already on vacation anyway," Santana muttered.

"I know, we were supposed to go to the cape," she whispered, less annoyed and more tiredly. "But something is clearly wrong. I've never seen Quinn this worked up before."

There was a long pause, just long enough to make Quinn feel guilty.

"I don't really understand either," Santana whispered, "but I can't let her go off by herself. I need to be there …. especially if there's nothing wrong and even more if there actually is..."

Quinn sighed. There was something wrong. She knew it.

…..

Quinn hadn't said much since they boarded. Santana instructed her to call out for a few days. She was due more than a few hours off since she had worked overtime recently on a big corporate case.

"Thanks for doing this Santana," Quinn muttered after the captain announced the final descent. They hadn't been able to get a flight until late. The Red Eye. She could see the tiredness in her eyes. She knew how much Santana needed her sleep but she knew she couldn't do this alone. Perhaps when she was headstrong in high school she wouldn't have asked for help, but now she knew. She was older and knew better, but still the only way she knew how to ask for help apparently was to bang on the door of one of her oldest friends and yell panicked sentences.

Santana looked down at her hands and hesitated. "It's just... I don't know, Quinn," she mumbled. "What you're accusing Finn of is... is huge..." She gave a nervous laugh. "We've known him since high school... before that..." she gave a nervous grimace. "He isn't the best guy but we've both slept with him and we... we were never the nicest girls..." She shook her head. "I just... I don't know."

"We used to know him," Quinn said with clarity, as she realized her own words and their meaning. "We've all changed. You and I know that." She looked at her with a smile. "We've all changed so much." Her smile faded. "You can't tell me that you think it's right that Rachel's stuck in Lima after she spent her first seventeen years dreaming of something more."

"Is this what this is about? Is this about Rachel's dreams?" Santana shook her head. She visibly gulped. "I …. They're married Quinn...It's not like they got married weeks ago or months ago and you just got to the altar to stop the wedding too late... It was years ago... It was ten years ago..." She met her hazel eyes. "Ten years, Quinn." She shook her head. "You're not... I don't know what you're feeling but... you must know that flying to Ohio in the middle of the night to check on her because she hung up on you because you think you saw a bruise... You must know that that means something more..."

Quinn took a deep breath. "I do love her," she said quietly. Santana looked at her with relief. "She's my best friend." Her words were so simple. "I would fly to you if I thought you were in trouble too."

Santana sighed heavily. "It's so much more than that." She shook her head. "Quinn, you're in love with her and have been for years... maybe more than ten... "

"Santana," she said sharply. "What?"

The brunette sighed again. "You can't blame Finn for this," she said quietly. "That's all I'm trying to say. You can't pretend that you need to be this hero riding in on a white horse in order to tell her how you feel."

"Santana," she said with a baffled frown.

"I'm not saying your wrong, Quinn," Santana whispered. "I just don't know if you're right... " She looked at her for a moment. "Just... think about it okay?"

"Something. IS. WRONG," Quinn hissed. "I saw the bruise. I saw the panic in her eyes. And you're saying that you think I'm making this up as an excuse to come out... as a way to come out?" Her voice lowered when she saw people across the aisle staring at her. "I'm not … I …. " She suddenly lost her words and felt a punch to her gut and a surge to her chest. "I ….. " Maybe it was the plane. They were descending right? She wasn't in love with her best friend. She wasn't making this up. She began to breathe heavily in her seat. She needed to get off this plane and breathe air that wasn't recycled. She looked at her watch. Sweet mother of Jesus it is 4:45am. She was 28 years old. Was she honestly just realizing that she was in love with the one girl she once thought she would always hate?

"Awww crap!" she heard Santana mutter. "I should have waited until we landed."

When they finally landed, Quinn ran into the terminal and locked herself in the nearest bathroom stall for approximately sixteen minutes. Santana was about to climb over the stall but then Quinn simply opened the door, washed her face and said, "Let's go. We have to rent a car. I'll pay for it."

….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Scout88: It wasn't hard to picture Finn like this. Every part of his character development portrays him as a haughty, unhappy, insure oaf. He was always a terrible boyfriend and he definitely would have made a terrible husband. I see a lot of DV in my line of work. It's always a power struggle. It's always so up and down where one moment you're living in hell and another you're not sure if it's actually hell or if you're imagining it. If that makes sense. I hope that this next installment lives up to your standards. Thank you so much for the lovely review :)

Gay Dolphin: Thank you so much for your kind review! It means a lot! Your heart might break more in this chapter for Rachel, but your love for Quinn and Faberry may soar. :) I hope. Quinn's thoughts were a pleasure to write. I have re-fallen in love with writing them. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

thelastcenturian: Thank you! I hate Finn, too, but I hate how much credit the show give him. I apparently depicted him very viciously here. lol Thank you for your review! I love your stories! :)

myxe: Thank you so much for your review! If you cried at the last chapter, you might cry at this one. I really loved writing the Unholy Trinity. I just picture them being ever-snarky. lol. Santana and Quinn keep each other in check. Thank you again for the review!

DGS: Thank you so much! Sadly, with Open and its sequel, my eventual return to Changes and then … the document full of random prompts that I keep developing, I can't committ to more than a two-shot. I appreciate your support for the story.

Anon: I'm happy you thought it was good.

pierce22: Thank you so much for your support, but sadly. I can only commit to a two-shot. HOWEVER, after writing the Faberry scened in this chapter. I have fallen in love at writing them. They're incredible! This will not be my last Faberry.

agarza1538: I'm so sorry your stomach is knotted. Here's the next part. However, I think more knots are to come for you.

TommyH: Me too , TommyH. Me too. :) Thanks for reading.

Anon: Thank you for thinking the story was great! I hope you like this last part.

Anon: Thank you! Let me know if you like this next part. There is a Faberry scene in here that I wrote that showed me how much I loved writing them.

dsercas4: San and Q are on their way. Thank you so much for your support! I love writing Quinn's thoughts. There are more in this chapter.

**A/N: This chapter contains domestic violence and sexual assault and rape. Please read with caution. **

**Thank you for your support! I hope this meets your expectations. **

Santana knew that there were many mysteries about Quinn Fabray, but she knew there were only so many buttons she could push. She sighed and got into the car. She dialed Rachel's number as they began to drive toward Lima. It was barely 5:30am and Quinn was confident they would make it before Rachel had to leave for school. It was one of the longest drives of Santana's live. Quinn was thinking so loudly that she wanted to scream. She could hear her thoughts. Am I really? Do I love Rachel? No, I don't love love Rachel. It was exhausting for Santana to even think. She sighed in relief as they crossed the town border into Lima.

Finally, she thought. They pulled into Rachel and Finn's driveway. The garage door was open and Finn's truck was gone. All of Santana's doubt suddenly exploded in her chest like an aftershock. She climbed out of the car and followed Quinn quietly to the backdoor. Quinn pulled out a key on a keyring and used it to open the door. Santana rolled her eyes. Of course, she would have a key.

The kitchen was clean and organized. Very Berry, Santana thought with a frown.

"Rachel?" Quinn called. "Finn?"

"Hello?" Santana echoed.

Quinn looked at her. "Help me look."

Santana felt a strange feeling in her stomach like she was doing something wrong. This wasn't like high school where she felt excited about breaking rules. This was the real world where adults committed crimes like breaking and entering and then were arrested. She frowned. They had a key, she told herself as she looked into the living room and Quinn in the dining room. They frowned and made their way toward the stairs.

"Rach?" Quinn called. "Your car is in the driveway and your purse is on the couch. Where are you?"

Santana felt like she was in a horror movie, a very very very bad horror movie.

She frowned as they walked upstairs and Quinn knocked on the bedroom door. She would stand back. The blonde ones were always killed by the serial killer first, she thought to herself. She waited in the middle of the hallway as Quinn opened the bedroom door slowly. Quinn just stood there. She didn't move. She didn't say anything; she didn't even make a sound.

"Quinn, you're freaking me out," she finally hissed at the blonde.

"S-s-santana," she whispered. "Get out your phone."

Santana scrambled to retrieve it and couldn't stop thinking about Dexter and Criminal Minds. She watched Quinn disappear into the room and much to her own hesitation she followed and she froze.

There was blood on the tangled sheets. It was in splotches. There were pillows all over the floor along with the comforter. Something had happened here. Santana squeezed her eyes shut. Something terrible.

She looked up and saw that Quinn had disappeared into the bathroom and a pleading sob interrupted her thoughts.

"Santana, call 911," Quinn hollered. Santana began to dial and followed her friend into the bathroom.

There on the floor in the corner of the bathroom was Rachel. Naked, bruised and bleeding.

…..

It all felt like a blur. It was just so confusing. One moment she was trying to convince her best friend not to be afraid of her. Of her. She frowned. Then she had been in the ambulance. She had tried to keep Rachel calm. There was blood on her... there was so much of it between her thighs. Her face was wet from all of the tears. Her hair was tangled and knotted. Her eyes were bloodshot. She didn't even look like Rachel anymore. Quinn remembered feeling bile rise in her throat. There were so many fluids... God, she hated that word. They were everywhere. She stood in the hallway in shock as Rachel was wheeled down the hallway with a sob. She felt Santana's arms engulf her. She turned to her friend with a sob.

"I told you," she muttered.

Quinn was thankful for one thing. One thing only. While Rachel was sobbing in the ambulance, she admitted not only to the ambulance driver but also to the ER doctor that it had been Finn. It had been her husband. She was thankful that Rachel had somehow gotten the strength to tell them the truth. Quinn and Santana were able to give their statements and the police were gone. Quinn couldn't deal with them. They were coming back for another interview in the morning once, when Rachel was better. The blonde nodded to herself; she was going to get better.

"Are you here for Rachel Hudson?"

Quinn nodded. This was it.

After all was said, Quinn couldn't soak in all of his words. Damage... monitored... day or two... She frowned deeply. He damaged her? She said the word silently to herself. Damaged her.

"Can we see her?" she heard herself suddenly say, not realizing she was interrupting the doctor.

The doctor nodded and led them down the hallway. "We haven't met with her yet about her injuries. She said that she wanted the two of you in there. She hadn't realized that you had brought her in. She thought it was a dream."

When she saw her, Quinn froze. She was so tiny in that bed. And for a strange reason, all Quinn could think of was Sleeping Beauty. She frowned. Had she been blonde? Damn Disney. Her mind thought all she had to do was kiss her to wake her up. She froze again, mentally. She wanted to kiss her best friend? Her best friend that had just been sexually damaged by her husband of ten years. Quinn made a mental note to call her therapist. She squeezed her eyes shut. She made a note to her mental note to get a therapist.

"Want to go in?" Santana asked.

Quinn had almost forgotten that she was there. She gave the girl a nod.

"Good," Santana smiled. "Because she's awake."

So much for the kissing, her mind announced, confusing the blonde even more.

"Hey," Rachel said with a raspy voice. She gave a weak smile, despite the stitches on her face. "I had a dream that you were here." She swallowed with a strained voice.

"Ms. Hudson?" the doctor asked.

"Rachel," she said looking down at her feet. Quinn and Santana moved toward the bed and each took one of her hands as gently as they could. Her wrists had burn marks … like a rug burn, Quinn thought to herself.

The three of them looked up at the doctor as he began to speak. "You have eight stitches on your temple and while your cheek bone is inflamed it does look only to be a deep bruise. You didn't sustain any fractures and your CT scan came back clear." He gave a slight nod. "One of your ribs is broken."

She gave a nod. "He kicked me... I think..." Rachel muttered trying to remember. "In the bathroom... after..." She felt her temple.. "I think... I think I hit my head..." She frowned. "On the cabinet..." She avoided their eyes, especially Quinn's. She squeezed her eyes closed. "He's just really angry-"

"Are we done here?" Santana asked the doctor. "Is there anything else?"

"There is slight tearing," he said carefully. "Anally and vaginally, but it won't require any surgery."

Rachel nodded, feeling the hands holding her squeeze tighter. She didn't need their comfort.. "Mmmhmm," she barely audited. "Is that it?" she asked darting her eyes from the other girls' gaze.

He nodded and explained her medication and that the nurses would check on her periodically. She watched him leave before taking a breath. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Santana said. "I really am. And I … I get that you don't want to talk about it... And Quinn and I both know that you'll be saying this again to the police later... and probably later again to your lawyer. But you need to know this," she said her voice changing as she lowered the railing of Rachel's bed and sat on the edge of it. She shook her head with tears in her normally stern eyes. "This is not him just being angry." Her words were staccato and succinct. "You are our friend and we love you and we used to love him, but this is not okay." Rachel looked up and saw the tears rolling down Santana's face. "Please... stop lying to yourself and to us by telling us it's okay."

Rachel cupped Santana's cheek and took Quinn's hand. "It's not that simple."

"Yes it is," Quinn said quietly.

"I know it's not," Santana said, surprising the other two. "I get that ten years of marriage... well,... almost six with me and Brit... with its vows, its secrets and... everything... that... it is beyond explanation. It's not something you can explain... but as much as I love Brittany, I love her so much... I know that I would walk away if she changed in the way that Finn changed."

Rachel's eyes teared up. "It's not that simple," she repeated. "This... what this is... this is not... some cliche..." She frowned. "The nurses think I'm stupid... The doctors think I'm an idiot... and the police think I'm weak...I am a cliche to them... I am an episode of Law and Order or somet terrible Lifetime move. I ….This is not that... This is me and this is Finn... and how things got so messed up..." She took a deep breath. "It isn't simple. It is confusing..." She frowned. "I need you to see that... and to see me..."

"Rachel, we do," Quinn said. "We are not clueless or heartless. We love you but we also do this type of work...We work with the police... we help put people behind bars..."

The tiny brunette let out a sob. "That's your job," she sobbed. "This is my life... This is my marriage...And it's all over... It's all over because I was an idiot and I was weak... and I was stupid to think that I could love my husband enough... support him enough to think that we could get through this." She looked at them as tears fell down their cheeks and her own. "I still... I … um...I know the doctors and police know that it's him..."

"It's a mandatory arrest, Rachel," Santana said interrupting her, knowing what direction she was going to go with this conversation, knowing that she had to nip it in the bud. "He's already in custody. Domestic A and B, assault and battery, and one count of aggravated sexual assault..." Rachel muttered something under her breath. "What?"

"I talked to the officers... briefly... already..." She shook her head. "It's two counts," she said looking at the women, before looking away. She felt their eyes burning into her. "It happened... the other night too..." She shook her head. "I know I can't take it back...I just..." She squeezed her eye shut. "I don't hate him enough to put him in jail for the rest of his life... I just... I want him out of my life."

"Rachel, he raped you," Quinn said abruptly, like an uncontained jack in the box.

Rachel looked at her sharply and Santana glared at her like a child that needed to be scolded. "I know," Rachel whispered. "I know...I'm not saying it's okay... I just... I don't believe in revenge... I just want to move on." Rachel recovered from her falter with a steady voice. "I'm his wife. It isn't... that...that isn't what happened. I'm his wife."

Quinn looked at her and released a sob. "That's not how you love your wife," she said moving toward her looking at her friend anxiously. That's not how I would love my wife, she thought to herself.

"Rachel, you can't make excuses for him just like Finn needs to take responsibility for what he did," she took a deep breath. "Think about …" Santana took a deep breath and looked at the girls. "I don't want to think about this but... Rachel... If we hadn't found you this morning..." Santana took a deep breath as Rachel bowed her head. "I can't imagine you doing this alone. So you can be pissed. You can be mad as hell, but I'm not backing down from this...I … Finn was never my favorite person … and you may not have been my best friend. But you are my friend... you're Quinn's best friend. We're not backing down from this."

"I don't want you to fight for justice and stuff... for me," Rachel said, carefully.

"But we will fight for you," Quinn said taking her hand. "It kills me that you think so little of yourself. I just... I want to hear what happened from you. I want to be here with you." She looked at her friend, who nodded. "And so does Santana. We don't scare off easily," she finished with a smile.

"Saying it outloud … it just... it reminds me how weak and -"

"Stop," Quinn said. "You're not that. You cannot say that. You are Rachel Berry and you are stronger than this." She took her hand. "Tell us what happened."

Rachel bowed her head. "I lied... about the miscarriage, Quinn..."

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked sitting on the hospital bed. Her heart began pounding quickly in her chest as she thought back to the loss that had devastated her friend a month ago. She remembered Rachel calling to tell her, and remembered the sorrow that laced her friend's voice. Rachel had said that it was a natural miscarriage. She had told her that the doctor's didn't know why it had happened.

"He was just so angry..." Rachel whispered. She shook her head. She saw that Santana was ready to explode with anger. "I'm fine."

"Don't you dare pull that shit," Santana said standing from the mattress she was previously sitting on. "Keep going. You're doing great. "

"Don't be angry at him... He's just... lost..."

"What happened the night you lost the baby, Rachel?" Quinn asked pointedly. She had to know.

Rachel stuck her tongue in her cheek and bit it with her teeth as she tried to find her words. "Forget it. It's not his fault... It just happened. The baby is gone. It doesn't matter."

"Rachel, it does matter," Quinn said cupping her face gently. "You are my best friend and I love you and the fact that your husband," she released a sob. "Left you like he did when I found you makes me so scared for you. Please tell me what happened."

Rachel searched her eyes. She reached out and cupped Quinn's cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a breath. She looked at Santana. "We were arguing," she said, with a simple clarity in her voice. "We were upstairs in the hallway. I lost my balance and fell down the stairs."

"Lost or was pushed?" Santana hissed.

"It's not like that," Rachel said. "He wanted this baby. We both wanted this baby. It was an accident."

Quinn shook her head furiously. "You and I know that's crap. That is crap."

"It's not... I don't think he meant to hurt the baby-"

"He just wanted to hurt you," Santana finished pinching the bridge of her nose mumbling in Spanish.

Rachel took a deep breath. She couldn't talk about the baby anymore. It was too hard. She shook her head lightly. "...I don't know... where to begin... Last night we had a fight and it got out of control..." Her mind drifted off to when she watched her phone ring helplessly on the table.

_Finn carried her upstairs with a tender love that she remembered him having. He pulled off her remaining clothing and kneeled back on his heels with a smile as she lay beneath him, exposed. _

"_I love you so much," he whispered as he pulled off his shirt and began to kiss her softly. _

_She moaned into his kiss grateful to have her gentle husband back. He palmed her breast as he ground into her. The romance and softness of his movements slowly began to cease. _

"_Finn," she smiled into the kiss. "Slow down. You have me. We don't have to rush this." _

"_Of course, I have you," he said with a distasteful look. "You're my wife."_

_She frowned. The first time he said that ten years ago she had been proud, but still she felt strange. He didn't say it as if he was a partner in the relationship; he said it like he was the boss in the relationship. _

_Rachel paused, debating if she wanted to address the problem or not. She didn't want to upset him but she felt like she had to say something. "Finn," she said pushing at his chest. "Can we talk about what's going on here?" _

_He sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "About the fact that my wife won't let me make love to her?" _

"_No, about the fact that you suddenly think that you can treat me like your whore!" she hissed. "This isn't what love is. This isn't who we are!" _

_He frowned. "We are married. We've been married for ten goddamn years! This is who we are!" he snapped. _

_Rachel scrambled off of the bed and grabbed her robe to cover herself, suddenly feeling exposed. "No," she said simply. "It's not." She shook her head. "You have changed and I know that things are different with what happened with your mom and-" _

"_Don't," he yelled knocking over a lamp. "This isn't about that! I have not changed! God, Rachel! Are you back to being a prude like you were in high school?" _

_Rachel put up her hands up. "Whoa!" she said. She shook her head. "Are you still seriously upset about that? That I wouldn't let you get into my pants right away when we first started dating?" Finn didn't answer and she began to walk away from him. "What you did yesterday was wrong. You know it and I know it... And I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you." She started to leave the room. "We're not doing this, Finn." _

"_Like hell," he whispered grabbing her arm. _

"_Let. Go," she said forcefully. "I hate seeing you like this. You're so unhappy and you're taking it out on me." _

"_Taking it out on you?" he repeated in annoyance. "Still playing the victim after all these years?" _

"_What?" she looked at him. "What is wrong with you? Is this what you think of me?" She shook her head and began to walk away. _

"_Go on, go cry to your stupid computer and your slutty dyke friend!" _

_Rachel froze. She didn't turn around. She couldn't even fathom words. She paused, knowing they were in there. _

"_Quinn is my best friend," she said fiercely. "She's your friend too, or at least I thought she was." She looked at him. "How dare you talk about her like that!" _

"_Oh come on!" he said throwing his hands up in the air. "Everyone has been waiting for her to come out! Santana told me last New Years that she thinks she loves you!" _

"_Of course we love each other, we're best friends," she said with a frown._

_Finn suddenly marched over to her and pushed her against the wall. "My wife is not a dyke!" _

_Rachel looked at him. "Let go of me," she hissed. "How can you use that language?" She leaned forward so their eyes met as she winced because his grip was harder. She had put up with his abusive tendencies far too long to not say anything anymore. She finally spoke up for herself, "LET GO!" _

_He pushed her hard against the wall but finally let go. She rubbed her arms. How could he say that? He knew her. He knew her views on sexuality. They had talked about it. They had talked about love being love and how it didn't matter. What happened to that?_

"_What's going on with you?" she whispered. "I thought that you believed that love is love. Period. We talked about this-" She looked at him brokenly. _

"_I don't care what Santana and Brittany do." He put his hand to his chest. "But two of the three girls I slept with in high school are dykes and I will not have my wife turn into one too. My brother is gay. I don't hate the gays, but it's not going to ruin my marriage." _

_Rachel let out a scoff. She shook her head. "I wish you could hear what you just said! You don't care as long as it doesn't involve you. You're still questioning your MANHOOD because you've slept with girls in highschool who happen to discover they are lesbians." She let out a mocking laugh. "I loved you for ten years, more than that. And I feel like I don't know who you are. You're so insecure, Finn and I -" _

"_What do you mean you loved me?" he asked icily. _

_Rachel paused. She hadn't realized she had used past tense. _

"_Are you ending this marriage? Because I'm not man enough?" he asked accusingly. _

"_What? Are you listening to me? Do you EVER listen to me?" she asked. _

"_I am the husband! I am the man and I am not ending this!" he yelled. "You don't have my permission!"_

"_Finn, your warped view of what a husband and what a man should be has gone too far," she said with a deep frown. It suddenly clicked. His father's death made Finn look for masculine figures everywhere, but then his mother married Burt. Who was the most incredible father in the world, to everyone but Finn. "How have we done this?" she hissed more at herself than Finn. She went over to the closet and grabbed a bag. "I need to get out of here." _

"_No," he said yanking the bag from her. "You're not leaving me." _

"_I just need a break. I need to get away from you right now," she said putting her hands in front of her. "You are my husband and I won't throw away our marriage, but I CAN'T think! I need some space." _

"_To what? Experiment and see if you're a lesbian too?" _

_Rachel put her hands up. "OH MY GOD! Finn, I'm talking about our marriage. Our ten year marriage! I know my sexuality. It's you I'm questioning." _

_Finn deflated. "So it's true..." he asked. _

_She frowned as she began to throw clothes in a bag. "What? Finn, you never listen to me! God, I …. can't do this with you. So when you're ready to listen-" _

_Her bag was ripped away and he gripped her shoulders. "You are my wife. You're not leaving me," he said with a sharp but low tone. _

"_Let go of me," she spat. She frowned and searched his eyes. Her eyes swelled with tears. "Please Finn, just let go." She let out a sob. She needed him to snap out of this. She needed him to be the Finn she knew._

_He kissed her suddenly. Almost gently. "Don't you feel anything?" he asked pulling away from her. She looked at him in confusion only to have him go in for another kiss. "Don't you feel it? Our passion and our love?" He looked at her desperately. "Please." He kissed her again with tears in his eyes. "Please don't leave me." _

"_I'm not leaving you," she said cupping his face. "I just need some time. I promise I'll come home tomorrow." _

_He frowned. "No, Rachel, you're not leaving." He untied her robe. "We're going to make love and everything will be back to normal."_

_Rachel tried to grab her robe unsuccessfully. "No, Finn. We're not." He threw the robe across the room and pushed her against the dresser harshly. Cupping her sex. "Finn, stop it!" _

"_No," he said as he kissed her neck. "We are married. We are in love and you are not leaving." _

_He kissed her again and she felt herself easing into the kiss. "Finn, this isn't going to fix it," she whispered weakly as he trailed kisses down her body, feeling a familiar tingle. _

"_Yes, it is," he said as he carried her over to the bed and knelt between her legs. He began to assault her senses washing away her apprehension as she fell into the moment. _

_She shouldn't be doing this, she thought as he tongued her more deeply. "Finn, please...I don't...We can't do this." _

_He put his hand on her stomach holding her down. He lifted up and entered her with his fingers. "We are." _

_She panted meeting his thrusts, hating how she was losing her morals and inhibition letting her husband silence her with sex. The feeling deep in her stomach grew as she neared climax only for him to pull away. He removed his boxers and she stared at him, vulnerable on the bed, her limbs were tingling._

"_Please be gentle," she whispered. "I'm still sore from before." _

_He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips and then slowly entered her. He began to thrust into her with abandon as he pinned her arms above her head. She met his thrusts and moaned in ecstasy. She tried to bring her hands up to touch his face and froze. _

"_Finn?" she quivered. She looked up at her hands. They were tied to the headboard with one of his ties. "What are you doing?" _

_He smiled and kissed her roughly. "You're not leaving." _

_She gave a nervous laugh. "I know we talked about doing this... but nows really not the time to integrate it into our sex life...Untie me." _

_He began to thrust into her more roughly causing her to yelp in pain. _

"_Slow down, Finn," she pleaded. _

_He gripped her hips and looked at her with furious lust. "I'm going to take you how I want." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You're mine and no one else's." _

_He then began to jackhammer into her without relief. She let out a sob of pain. _

"_Finn! No! Please, stop! Please!" _

_She felt him suddenly pull out. Thinking that it was over and he came to his senses. She looked at him through teary eyes hopefully only to have her hopes dashed as he flipped her over onto her stomach and retied her hands. He took another tie and gagged her. He pulled her hair away from her face and kissed her neck. _

"_You need to know where you stand, Rachel," he said menacingly as he gripped her hips up and entered her from behind. she let out a muffled sob. "This is where you belong." _

"_Finn!" she screamed, but it was only muffled. He brought his hand back and slapped her on the buttocks causing her to scream. "No," she sobbed into the gag. _

"_Shut up!" he hissed as he used his fist to pound into her back. She let out a groan of pain. "I said shut up!" he punctuated each word with a harsh slap to her backside. The noise of his palm meeting her flesh echoed throughout their bedroom._

_Rachel gave up at that point. She was just sobbing; that's all she could do. This was terrible. She could barely focus on breathing around the gag as each thrust from her husband... her husband, she repeated, pushed her deeper into the pillow. She just wanted it to be over. She just has to survive this and then it would all be over. She felt him moan into her neck and finally pull out. It was over. It was - _

"_No!" she sobbed as she felt him pull apart the cheeks of her ass. She tugged her wrists hopelessly in attempt to free them from their bindings. When that failed she turned her head hoping to meet his eyes, hoping that she would see the Finn she knew one last time. "Finn, stop!" Her words were muffled around the tie._

_She felt him lean down. He hissed into her ear. "If you don't relax, Rachel, it'll hurt more," he said slowly. "That's on you. You're responsible for that."_

_He pried her open again and Rachel buried her face in her pillow, begging it to suffocate her as he entered her. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a muffled scream as she felt the last promise he had made with her break. She squeezed her eyes shut willing out the pain. "I vow to love you and kiss away every tear," an 18 year old Finn had told her. She sobbed. Where did that Finn go? Was she too young and hopeful at the time to see that the man he would become was so much weaker than the man he vowed to be? _

_She suddenly heard a new voice in her head. "You deserve greatness, Rach," Quinn had told her with a smile during a winter break from college. "I want to marry my best friend. I want to grow and change and be with them when they grow and change, because change is inevitable. I want a miraculous love." Quinn had sighed. "I hope to someday have someone like you." "Like me?" Rachel asked. Quinn stuttered, "Like... Like you and Finn..." _

_Rachel felt another surge of pain as Finn thrust deeper, bringing her back to her present reality. She turned her head so that her ear rested against the pillow. She remembered walking in the city with Quinn and wanting to reach out and take her hand, but knowing that adult women who hold hands in public... Well it sent another message. Rachel felt another sharp pain as he continued to thrust into her. She should have held her hand. _

Rachel shuttered and looked at her friends. "It just... It got out of control. He hurt me... and I …. Nothing I said mattered." She wiped a few tears from her face as she looked up at Quinn and Santana. "Can we take a break?" she asked quietly. "Please."

…..

There was so much going through Rachel's mind. Santana had left the room to call Brittany. The police had collected her statement about all that had happened. It felt like she was numb and she wanted so badly to leave this earth, but something was holding her back. Someone: Quinn. The blond had been holding her and hadn't left her side. Her life felt like it had been put through the garbage disposal and now she had to put it back together. She wanted to give up, but something was confusing her. Something was holding her back: Quinn. Again, she smiled to herself. She hadn't realized there was so much left unanswered but there was. She needed those answers; she needed something to keep her afloat. Rachel looked up quietly away from the television as she leaned into Quinn's embrace.

"Quinn, what's going on here?" she whispered.

"What?" Quinn asked suddenly as a moment of panic swept over her. Did Rachel forget what that bastard had done? Could amnesia start this late after a trauma?

She felt Rachel lower her head. "I can't pretend that these last ten years haven't happened, Quinn," she said carefully. "I'm …. not... I'm not really sure what's going on."

"Well, we're watching crap television," Quinn said with a frown.

"Quinn, you're my best friend," Rachel said suddenly sitting up with a wince. "I... I need to know what's going on?" She looked away from the girl and continued before Quinn had the chance to respond. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened her mouth, visibly forming her words for a moment before finally speaking. "I haven't been waiting here like a sitting duck waiting for you." She squeezed her eyes shut tighter. "That came out wrong." She paused and opened her eyes as she searched Quinn's. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked quietly suddenly feeling as if she was missing a very important scene in this crappy television show.

She felt Rachel's hand on hers.

"I …. um... " Rachel gulped. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth for a second. "This isn't how I pictured my life. I always..." She looked at her hands. "I thought I would be happy by now..." She bit her lip and didn't fight the tears. "That I would have someone who loved me and who I loved with all my heart... and we would have a family." She let out a tearful laugh. She rolled her eyes. "This isn't …. this isn't how I pictured my life..." She wiped her eyes furiously and looked at her hands. "I … um... I didn't want to be a cliche... this woman who thought so much more of her marriage...but even less of herself than she did in high school. Someone who was too... " Rachel shook her head. "Caught up in the illusion to see all the problems." She frowned. "Does that make sense?"

Not at all. "Yes, completely," Quinn heard herself say.

"I was raised in a house where love was love. It transcended skin color, social economic background…. gender..." Rachel's words ended with a whisper. She looked at the blonde again. "You're my best friend and I always want you to be. I can't imagine my life without you." She chewed her lip. "But I'm really confused right now." She began to cry again. "I'm confused about how the people I love let this be my life. I'm confused about how I let this be my life." She frowned and stared at Quinn with blurry vision. "And most of all, I'm confused about what I feel for you." She bit her lip avoiding Quinn's shocked expression. "Every holiday party... Every phone call... Every text, video chat and email ….. I hope that you're happy." She wiped her nose and shook her head. "I've hated every man that you've dated...and every woman that you've pretended Santana didn't set you up with." She let out a tearful laugh.

She took a deep breath and traced the bruises around her wrist.

"I need you to see me right now not as the person that I am in this moment." She let out a sob. "Because I can't be this person anymore."

Quinn stared back at her suddenly realizing her arms felt awkward and her mouth was hanging open and her vision was blurry.

"I need you to see me for me," Rachel pleaded.

"I ... I do..." Well-said, idiot. Quinn scolded herself.

The brunette went on. "I need you to tell me... and I promise, no matter your answer," she said with reassuring eyes and a dimpled grin. "That you'll always be my best friend and I'll never bring this up again if your answer is yes."

"What is it?" Quinn asked quietly as her stomach did flips of its own.

Rachel frowned and took a deep breath. "Do you see me.-"

"Yes, I see you," she said quietly. She grimaced. "Damn it you weren't done, were you? Go on."

The brunette smiled nervously. "Do you see me just as a friend?... Your best friend? Or... Or do you see me... or... " Rachel sat up and looked at her with a rejuvenated confidence that Quinn hadn't seen in years. "I don't know what I'm capable of anymore...but I can see myself loving you..." She trailed off. "More than just a best friend. I just... I need to know if you could love me back...in the same way." Her voice picked up speed again. "Maybe not now... Or later... or … soon... but someday... and I ….."

Quinn stared at her. She was rambling she didn't know how to respond. She didn't know if she had a response. She didn't know what to do. And then suddenly she did.

She leaned forward and with a soft, gentle, but stealthy grace, Quinn Fabray kissed Rachel Berry.

And then with a fierce love that could only possess the most tender of hearts and passion of giants, the tiny brunette kissed her back.

Quinn kissed her until she couldn't breathe. She kissed her until she heard Rachel's heart monitor beating fast. She kissed her until she couldn't stop, but then she stopped because she knew she wanted to take a break. She wanted to miss her and need to kiss her again to compete with the kiss before. To be better.

She leaned her forehead against Rachel. "I don't know if this is healthy. I don't know if the books say this is wrong," she looked into Rachel's eyes with a bashful smile. "But you are my best friend. And I not only think that I could love you, but I think I've been well on my way to loving you for awhile now." She kissed her softly and pulled away. "I'm so sorry that it took me so long to realize it."

Rachel smiled. "You didn't throw yourself into a marriage that you pretended to be happy in," she felt tears rise in her eyes. "I …." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I love you too." Her eyes remained shut.

But. There was totally a but. "But?" Quinn asked with panic in her chest because she just kissed her best friend.

"But I spent ten years in a relationship that I thought made me happy," she said as he chin quivered. "I want everything to be real with you." She let out a sob. "I can't …. expect you to love me when I'm like this...I don't even... I don't know who I am... I don't want to cling to you and get you stuck in this."

Quinn looked at her with a deep set frown. She wasn't sure what to say to that. She wanted Rachel to be herself because she loved her. She didn't want her to feel like they were keeping each other afloat. "I always knew that you were this untamable force of nature. It scared me. I don't ever want to hold you back."

"I didn't... I didn't say that," Rachel said quickly.

Quinn put her finger to her lips. "Rachel, I don't ever want you to be less than you think that you are." She bit her lip. She gave a little laugh. "Remember... when we were in college and I used to talk to you about relationships? Do you remember what I said?"

The abrupt terror in Rachel's chocolate eyes melted. "You said you wanted to marry your best friend. You wanted to grow and change and be with them when they grow and change, because change is inevitable."

"You have a creepily accurate memory," she smiled. "I don't know how to do this," she whispered taking Rachel's hand, "but I really love the idea of being able to grow and change with you."

"Quinn," Rachel whispered as the blond rested her forehead on hers. "Are we moving too fast? Is this too much?"

The blonde looked at her trying her best not to look defensive as she pulled away. "Are you scared to love me?"

Rachel laughed with a sob. "Of course, I am," she said. She shook her head. "I'm afraid to love you because I don't know if I can survive losing you."

Quinn laughed and cupped her cheek. "I don't think we're moving too fast," she muttered.

"Why?"

"Because I think we're just catching up on the last ten years where we've pretended to not love each other so much," she whispered.

"Oh," Rachel whispered wrapping her arms around her, hugging her as tightly as her sore frame could. She tucked her head in the crook of Quinn's neck. "I think I've loved you longer than that."

…..

Rachel pulled the tape across the last box. That was it. She thought as she carried it out to the moving truck outside. All of her things were gone. Finn had … much to her surprise, plead guilty to the charges without contest. Santana went in and spoke to him before his plea hearing and did her magic. He hadn't collected his things yet, but Santana was taking care of the legal side. Rachel had heard something about an injunction and that Finn was staying with Burt but could not have contact with Rachel and that his court date was set. Rachel had been able to leave the hospital the next day and immediately and for the first time, spontaneously decided to move to NYC. Her relationship with Quinn was moving fast and was scaring her, but being her best friend, Quinn knew that and had her assistant find an apartment in a Manhattan loft for Rachel. Paperwork had been signed and for the first time she had her own space. She felt terrible about leaving her students, but she couldn't be here anymore. It just wasn't possible.

Quinn gave her a soft smile and took the box from her arms and carried it out to the car.

"You can't carry any of these," she said with a pointed glare. "We talked about this. Ribs are broken. Body need to rest."

"So I'm driving 600 miles and moving?" she laughed but letting her smile falter realizing her big step.

"It's just a day trip, Berry," Santana called from the car in front of the truck where she was kissing Brittany who had flown in that morning. It was as if they hadn't been apart before.

"Berry," Rachel thought to herself out loud. "Rachel Berry." She gave a smile and walked into the house playing with the ring that was still on her finger nervously. She had let the judge know that she was moving and was available if she was needed for the arraignment, despite Santana's rolled eyes that she wasn't. It was just so many steps that were being taken. She didn't want to miss one.

She looked around her house... or what used to be her house. She pulled a piece of paper from her desk drawer.

"Dear Finn," she wrote. She paused, unsure of what to write. "I wish the best." She saw the packet of divorce papers that Sanana left on the table that she had signed earlier that day. The girl had told her that if Finn didn't return them that she would fly back to Lima herself to straighten it out. She sighed and took a deep breath. She felt a slight relief. It was subtle, barely there, like a tiny burp.

She slipped off her engagement ring and her wedding band and put it on the divorce papers. She picked up Chester and held him to her chest.

"You ready?" Quinn asked gently from the doorway as she leaned against the frame.

Rachel nodded and reached out her free hand to Quinn and the blonde took it with pride and a love that was stronger than the vow Rachel had made at 18 years old.

**The End... for now. I have a possible two-three shot sequel in the back of my mind. However, I'm currently very much into Open Wounds. I hope you enjoyed the last of this two shot. Thank you! :) **


End file.
